Kansas tops David Borges’ AP Top 25 ballot

While the cloud of college basketball’s bribery trial hangs over the sport (for everyone, apparently, except Mike Krzyzewski) the season begins in a few weeks.

We’re excited to be Connecticut’s AP Top 25 voter again. In assembling our preseason Top 25 ballot, we go with what we know best. After watching him play at Memphis for two seasons, we know Dedric Lawson is terrific (and his brother K.J. isn’t so bad, either), so we figure he’ll help fuel Kansas to the top of the heap. We know Tremont Waters, so we’ll give LSU some love. We know the American Athletic Conference, and it’s a bit down this season with a lot of parity. But let’s give UCF, voted the league favorite in the preseason coaches poll, a little love anyway.

The AP’s official preseason Top 25 poll will be released on Monday at noon. Until then, here’s our ballot — and note that UConn will face at least four of these teams, and possibly five:

1. Kansas: Looks like Bill $elf may have bought the best team in the land — though that could change if $ilvio De$ousa is ineligible.

2. Virginia: We feel like the Cavaliers are the perfect (Kyle) Guys to bounce back from last year’s historic, first-round NCAA loss.

3. Kentucky: John Calipari actually has some big-time returnees back.

4. Gonzaga: Man, it seems Josh Perkins has been here forever.

5. Duke: Hey, Coach K: If six-figures and a no-show job wasn’t good enough for Zion Williamson at Kansas, why did he pick Duke?

6. Nevada: Four starters return to team that rallied back from 22-point deficit against Cincinnati to reach the Sweet 16.

7. Kansas State: Five returning starters from an Elite 8 squad, and that’s not even counting former East Catholic star Mike McGuirl.

8. North Carolina: Luke Maye is the type of fouryear star the Tar Heels are leaning on more and more these days.

9. Syracuse: All five starters back from Sweet 16 team. UConn will have its hands full on Nov. 15 at MSG.

10. Auburn: Mustapha Heron a tough loss, but Tigers kept Bryce Brown and Bruce Pearl, who somehow got a contract extension. Pearl, not Brown.

11. Michigan State: Cassius Winston sure looked good against UConn last year. But then, didn’t everybody?

12. Tennessee: Everyone’s high on the Volunteers but, I don’t know … Rick Barnes? Gotta see it first.

13. Villanova: Defending champs lost a lot, but have tremendous incoming class. Will face UConn on Dec. 22 at MSG.

14. Florida State: Yet another likely preseason Top 25 team on UConn’s schedule (Dec. 8 in Newark, N.J.).

15. Oregon: Ducks have their best-ever recruiting class coming in, led by Bol Bol (Manute’s son).

16. Indiana: Lotta talk about talented frosh point guard Romeo Langford.

17. West Virginia: It’ll be interesting to see if UConn de-commit Emmitt Matthews, Jr. contributes at all this season.

18. Purdue: Ultimately, you need “dudes”, and the Boilermakers have one in national Player of the Year candidate Carsen Edwards.

19. Washington: Former longtime Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins may have the best team in a perennially-disappointing Pac-12.

20. Notre Dame: Is this the year we finally get to see how good former UConn forward Juwan Durham can be?

21. Michigan: Last year’s national runners-up lose a lot, but never bet against John Beilein.

22. Virginia Tech: Seems to be a lot of buzz about Buzz Williams’ boys entering the season. We’ll see.

23. LSU: Let’s give some love to New Haven’s Tremont Waters, who could play himself into firstround NBA draft territory this season.

24. Providence: Friars have one of the nation’s best incoming recruiting classes, led by David Duke (the good one, not the antiSemite).

25. UCF: We’ll throw the AAC a bone. Sue me.